Author's note: I realize that Joe Maxwell never met Vincent. But he has met Father. In this story, he knows about the community and has met Vincent. So there, lol.
"We have an all point bulletin out." Joe rubbed his face, sighing tiredly. "Goodness, Chandler. How do all these bad things keep happening to this kid?"
Catherine sat at her desk, chin in her hands. "No idea. But thank's Joe. I really appreciate it. Why did no one let me know that her mother had skipped out?"
Joe crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his desk. "We did. We called your phone a million times. I couldn't get ahold of you."
Catherine shook her head, eyes closing in realization that she had missed the calls because she was Below.
"Care to explain it, or no?" Joe asked, tilting his head to one side. "She was under your care and supposedly with a psychiatrist."
Catherine rolled her eyes at him, and stood. "No, Joe. I don't. Come on. We need to find her. Stat. Her mother will kill her. Without a witness, she will walk."Joe stood straight and held out a hand as if to stop her.
"No, no Chandler. She will stay under investigation. The judge is trying to see if she is eligible for parole. He wanted to hear the testimony again. Now that she is AWOL, all that is off the table. She is going to be found, and tried as an escaped felon. With her record, she will get life."
Catherine sighed and picked up her purse. "That's real comforting, Joe. See you later. I've got to go."
Joe frowned and walked toward her. "Chandler, where are you going?"
"I've got to find her, Joe."
Joe grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him. There was a concern in his eyes that she had seen before in her father's eyes. Joe brushed a finger across her cheek. "Be careful Chandler. We don't want to lose you too. Actually," he turned away and grabbed his coat. "Hang it all. I'm coming too."
/
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"Well, well!" Scarlett winced at the harsh voice that she remembered from her time in the Lower Tunnels. "We meet again! It must be fate. We really should just stay together." The face above her held such a venemous, scathing expression, Scarlett thought she would throw up.
She glanced at her mother's face, and saw a strange look. Her mother was looking confusedly at Paracelsus. "You've met her before?"
Parascelcuc smirked. "Yes I have, Mrs. Wilson." He withdrew a gun from a pocket of his coat. "Pull her out of the truck."
The look of fear on the woman's face suddenly revealed to Scarlett that something wasn't right. Her mother wasn't aware of the evil man's real nature. She grunted as the strong woman hauled her out of the truck then froze. "Nancy?" She whispered, her face strangely kind. "You're pregnant?"
Scarlett nodded, hesitating, as her mother gently touched her baby bump almost reverently. "I have been trying to find you. I wanted to tell you that I was a terrible mother to you and I'm very very sorry." She touched Scarlett's cheek and smiled sadly. "I didn't expect you to forgive me and I sure didn't mean to kidnap you. It was all Mr. Heathrow's idea. He helps people find people and I wanted to find you so badly-."
Scarlett's head swam. "Mom, I have lived most of my life hating you. I loved you and you- you killed my dad."
"No, no, baby." Mrs. Wilson cradled the sobbing girls head in her hands. "No I didn't. I sent Mr. Heathrow out to get you because yes I was an idiot and a jerk. I hired him and the next thing I knew your dad was dead and I was in jail. Yes, I was cruel to you and I deserve prison. But I never meant to get anyone killed. I mean that baby!"
Scarlett nodded cautiously. She was so scared she couldn't think straight. Mr. Heathrow? Parascealsus? Who was guilty? Who wasn't? She flinched as the evil Paracealsus grasped her Mom's shoulder and wrenched her away. "Enough of the chit chat, woman." The last thing that Scarlett saw was her mother falling to the ground and his gun raised in his fist and coming toward her . Sudden pain flashed through her head and she knew nothing else.
/
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"Catherine will you please explain to me what is going on, and why we are going Below?" Joe Maxwell hurried after Catherine, pausing every now and then to catch his breath. "Nancy was supposed to be -" he paused as if he had hit a brick wall. Realization finally dawned on his face. A slow grin lit up his features and he charged on after Catherine's disappearing form. "Chandler, you always were a sneaky one."
Below was still in turmoil. Arthur was under the care of Kipper and the children, and had succeeded in keeping them successfully unaware that there had been a trashed. Except for Jamie, who had always looked out for Mouse. She sat by Winslow, her other favorite and watched the surrounding chaos with round eyes. Father sat dejectedly in his chair, cold tea in his cup forgotten on the table. Mary looked sad and yet, she kept a brave face for the children who kept running to her to settle quarrels, smooth scrapes, and answer questions. Catherine entered with Joe who immediately brought a sense of relief to the whole community. "Alright folks," he spoke firmly but gently. "We have an all points bulletin out for the - kidnappers - truck. I am going back Above to personally drive around myself and see what we can see. Catherine will go with me. If we hear anything at all, we will have Pascal alert you." He nodded kindly at the random scattered thank yous then walked over to Father. He held out a hand. Father raised worried eyes to look at him. Joe smiled crookedly. "Coming sir?"
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/
Scarlett woke to find herself laying on her back, unbound but in a dark room. She tried to sit up but dizziness overtook her and she winced. Gently, she raised a hand to touch her aching head. A good sized lump had formed on her temple where the pistol had knocked her out and it was sticky with blood. She sighed. Father was going to be fit to be tied. She tried to sit up again, but hesitated when a soft sob reached her ears from the other side of the room. "Hello?" She whispered, all senses on alert for some dangerous repercussion that would come because of her voice. She expected red sirens and blinding light but instead, there was only silence. "I must have imagined it," she thought to herself. She patted the baby bump. "Momma is finally losing it, child." Then she heard it again. An unmistakable sob. She wasn't alone in the darkness.
She whimpered a bit as her muscles protested her attempts to rise but she managed to rise and stagger toward the sound, one hand on the wall for support. She flinched as the wall she touched felt moldy and damp. She realized that it was made of wood. That meant they were still Above. Gritting her teeth, Scarlett crept forward until she nearly tripped over a figure lying probe on the ground. Cautiously she knelt and felt for the face of the figure. With a cry of joy, she clutched it close. She had found Mouse.
